Crossword-puzzle board



July 8, 1930. H, A, NORRELL 1,769,961

CROS SWORD PUZ ZLE BOARD Filed 00;. 15, 1928 Patented July 8, 1930PATENT OFFICE HENRY AUGUSTUS NORRELL, OF AUGUSTA, GEORGIACROSSWORD-PUZZLE BOARD Application filed October 15, 1928. Serial No.312,549.

The present invention relates to improvements in amusement devices, andhas reference more particularly to a cross Word puzzle board.

' One of the important objects of the present invention is to provide adevice of the above mentioned characterwhich will not only affordamusement to the person endeavoring to solve the puzzle, but will alsoserveas an educationa-l device for increasing the vocabulary of theplayer.

Still a further object is to provide a cross word puzzle device of theabove mentioned character wherein means I is provided for markingoff'the limit of the puzzle that is to be solved.

A further object is to provide a cross word puzzle device of the abovementioned character that includes a board provided with a series ofindividual recesses, each of which is designated by a referencecharacter, individual game pieces being adapted to be removablypositioned within the individual pocket or recesses for building up orforming complete words either horizontally or vertically.

A further object is to -proyide a cross word puzzle of the aboveineii'tioned character which is simple in'construction, inexpesive,strong and durable and further well adapted to the purpose for which itis designed.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentfromthe following description when taken in connection with the drawing.2

" In the accompanying drawing wherein like reference characters indicatecorresponding parts throughout the same Figure 1 is a top plan vlew ofthe board showing the tapes employed for marking off 40 thepredetermined number of squares to be used in solving a particularpuzzle.

Figure'2is a sectional view taken approxi mately on the line 2-2 ofFigure 1.

Figure .3 is a sectional view taken upon the line 33 of Figure 1 showingone of the removable marking tags inserted in one of the slits.

Figure 4 is a sectional view through one end of the tapes showing thesocket, member attafihed thereto.

Figure 5 is a detail perspective view of one of the playing pieces orblocks.

Figure 6 is a similar view of another one of said playing pieces orblocks, and

Figure 7 is a detail perspective view of one of the marking tags.

In the drawing wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown thepreferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 1 designates generallythe board of the cross word eo puzzle, the same being of substantiallyrectangular shape. This board which is preferably constructed of metalis formed with a plurality of substantially square shaped pockets orrecesses denoted by the reference character 2, said pockets or recessesbeing ar ranged in parallel spaced vertically and horizontally-disposedrows, and a bottom plate 3 underlies the board 1 to provide a bottom forthe respective recesses or pockets in the man- 7 ner as clearlysuggested in Figure 2.

The individual recesses or pockets are numbered consecutively, thenumbers reading from left to right and from the top toward the bottom.In the present instance sixty four recesses are provided and manifestlythere are sixty four numbers printed or otherwise arranged on the baseplate 3 to designate the respective recesses or pockets. 1t will also beobserved that the player board 1 is formed at the top of each recess orpocket with a slit 4 in which is removably fitted the relatively narrowtongue 5 that is formed on the lower edge of a marking tag 6. In Figure7 of the drawing there is shown a detail. view of the marking tag and itwill .be observed that on one face of the tag there is printed orotherwise arran ed a numeral indicative of one ofthe poc ets or recessesformed'in the board 1.

The marking tags are used only in solving a puzzle that is alreadyprepared. In use, the marking tags are employed as an indicator of thesquare beginning a word either horizontal or vertical. These removabletags are set in position for each puzzle to be solved.

The board 1 is marked above each pocket or recess with a numeralcorresponding to the num ral 0f he respective p 1??? 9! 199 the numeralsarranged on the top face of the board 1 being shown at 7.

A plurality of heads 8 that constitute a part of a separable fastenerconstruction are arranged on the upper face of the board 1 adjacenttheoutermost pockets or recesses, and the purpose of these heads will behereinafter more fully described.

The cross word puzzle further includes the provision of a plurality ofgame pieces, each of which is of rectangular shape, and of such size asto be removably fitted within any one of the recesses or pockets 2formed in the board 1. Each game piece 9 is furthermore of suchthickness as to be greater than the depth of the recesses or pocketsformed in the playing board so that said playing pieces may be readilyand easily placed in or removed from the pocket during the solving ofthe puzzle. Furthermore, certain of the game pieces have letters printedor otherwisearranged on the upper face thereof as shown at 10 in Figure5 while the upper faces of certain other ones of the game pieces mayhave other indicia arranged thereon whereby such game pieces will beemployed as spacing units between the words that are completed duringthe solving of the puzzle, and in Figure 6 of the drawings there isshown such spacing unit. The spacing units forming blocks are denoted bythe reference character 11.

The invention further comprehends the provision of a pair of elongatedstrips of tape designated by the numerals 12 and 13 respectivelyandattached to each end of each tape is a socket 14 that detachably engageswith any one of the heads 8 that project upwardly from the edge portionsof the board 1.

One of the tapes is disposed vertically, while the other is disposed.horizontally across the upper face of the board 1, and as is shown inFigure 1 by attaching the sockets 14 carried by the ends of the tapes tocertain of the heads 8, the sides of the playing board may be decreased,depending upon the size of the cross word puzzle that is to be built upor solved, and as shown in Figure I, the tapes are so arranged as toprovide a playing board wherein the area is such as to be limited tofive pockets in each direction.

In solving the cross word puzzle, the blocks or pieces havingpredetermined letters arranged thereon are placed in the predeterminedrecesses or pockets by the person solving the puzzle until the completedword or words are formed and in order to distinguish between the wordsformed, the spacing units 11 are placed in the recesses located betweenthe words formed by the positioning of the proper letter carrying blocksin the recesses or pockets.

It will thus be seen from the foregoing description, that I haveprovided a cross word puzzle device that will not only aflord amusementto children as well as grown up persons,

but will also serve as an educational appliance in increasing thevocabulary of the player.

The simplicity in which the present device is constructed enables theparts to be readily and easily handled and furthermore the board as wellas the ame pieces may be constructed of any suita le material, andpainted or otherwise ornamented to render the same attractive.

While I have shown the preferred embodiment of my invention it is to beunderstood that minor changes in the size, shape and arrangement ofparts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of theinvention and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is p 1. In a cross word puzzle, a player boarddivided into vertically and horizontally disposed rows of ockets, eachof which is marked, a plurality of player pieces, some of which arelettered, and others being blank, said lettered pieces being adapted tobe placed in predetermined ones of the pockets to form complete wordseither vertically or horizontally, the blank' pieces constitutingspacing units between the complete words, means for decreasing the sizeof the playing board, said means including vertically and horizontallydisposed intersecting strips, means for detachably connecting the outerends of the strips to the respective edge portions of the board, saidlast mentioned means comprising a series of heads extending upwardlyfrom the upper face of the board adjacent the outermost recesses orpockets, and socket elements carried by the ends of strips forengagement over the heads.

2. In a cross word puzzle, a player board divided into vertically andhorizontally disposed rows of pockets, each of which is eitherhorizontally or vertically.

' In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

HENRY AUGUSTUS NORRELL.

